Prooemium
The Author's Offering to the King
The author dedicates a treatise on kingship to the king, grounding its origin, content, and completion in divine authority and the help of the King of kings.
As I thought about what I might offer that would be worthy of royal majesty, fitting for my own calling, and suited to the task at hand, one thing presented itself above all others: that I should write a book on kingship for the king, in which I would carefully set forth both the origin of kingship and the things that belong to a king's office, drawing on the authority of divine Scripture and the teachings and examples of praised rulers, according to the ability of my own mind — the beginning, progress, and completion of the work looking to the help of him who is the king of kings and lord of lords, through whom kings reign: God, the great Lord, and great king above all gods.✦✦✦
Read the original Latin
Cogitanti mihi quid offerrem regiae celsitudini dignum meaeque professioni congruum et officio, id occurrit potissime offerendum, ut regi librum de regno conscriberem, in quo et regni originem et ea quae ad regis officium pertinent, secundum Scripturae divinae auctoritatem, philosophorum dogma et exempla laudatorum principum diligenter depromerem, iuxta ingenii proprii facultatem, principium, progressum, consummationem operis ex illius expectans auxilio qui est rex regum et dominus dominantium: per quem reges regnant, Deus, magnus dominus, et rex magnus super omnes deos.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Ps.47.2 — For the LORD Most High is awesome, a great King over all the earth.
- ↩Mal.1.14 — Cursed is the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, yet sacrifices a blemished one to the Lord, for I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.
- ↩Ps.47.2 — For the LORD Most High is awesome, a great King over all the earth.
On Kingship, to the King of Cyprus (De regno ad regem Cypri) companion
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